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Guidelines for project to review print monographs across campus libraries

The rapid growth in electronic resources in recent years, the introduction of new initiatives such as Worldwide Loans and Document Supply Service and BONUS+, the changing needs of library clients and the refurbishing of library spaces have all resulted in the need to undertake a systematic review of the print monograph collections. As part of the review, some materials will be identified for de-selection based on the defined criteria in these guidelines. Material will also be selectively targeted for ordering to ensure out-dated material is replaced and growing areas of interest are resourced.

The review project aims to ensure the collections: (1) remain current and relevant to the teaching, learning and research activities within the University (2) are responsive to changing client needs (3) best utilise library space and alternative storage/archiving arrangements.

General principles of de-selection:

• The Library collection should be relevant and responsive to the teaching, learning and research activities of the University. The collection will be regularly reviewed and outdated, inaccurate, irrelevant materials will be considered for possible de-selection
• The currency of information is particularly important in some disciplines such as health sciences, information technology, business & law. The Library will implement a weeding schedule to check these discipline areas against the de-selection criteria to ensure an up to date and relevant collection
• The following monograph materials will be evaluated regularly for possible de-selection:
  • Titles that are no longer relevant to the teaching, learning or research of the University
  • Material that is out of date, inaccurate, damaged or badly worn
  • Material that has low use over recent years (this may vary according to the discipline)
  • Multiple copies of reading list materials once their relevance to the teaching curriculum ends
  • Superseded editions of monographs
  • Superseded editions of Deakin course materials
  • Resources in formats that have become technologically redundant and their research value does not justify transcription to another format or if copyright restrictions prohibit this. Examples include some audio-tapes, 5¼ inch floppy discs or older video-tape format
• Some monograph material is ineligible for de-selection. These include:
  • items on current reading lists
  • items that are deemed core or seminal works
  • items whose conditions of ownership do not allow de-selection. These include AGPULS (Australian Government Publications University Libraries Deposit Scheme), Royal Society of Victoria and Cultural Gifts Scheme (previously Taxation Incentive for the Arts Scheme)
• The Library will relegate weeded items that are scholarly in nature and last copy in major Australian university libraries to the CARM facility whenever possible.

Specific de-selection criteria for this monograph collection review project

• Titles that are no longer relevant to the teaching, learning or research of the University: areas of study no longer being taught will be a focus of this project.
• Material that is out of date, inaccurate, damaged or badly worn. This is part of normal de-selection activities but the collection will be examined more systematically for this project.
• Material that has low use over recent years. The project will proceed in phases targeting initially old material with no use in the last 15 years through to more recent material still showing little use. Low use research material will be relegated to CARM.
• Multiple copies of reading list materials once their relevance to the teaching curriculum ends. This is a normal de-selection task but this project will target these titles more systematically
• Superseded editions of monographs
• Superseded editions of Deakin course materials

Procedures for last copy review of the book collection

• Last copy review will undertaken on targeted areas identified by Dewey ranges.
• Areas for last copy review will be determined in by consultation with each School. This consultation will focus on the age of the collection, collection needs to support research and teaching, areas no longer of interest, potential areas of new interest and specific parts of the collection such as conference proceedings.
• This consultation will result in the development of guidelines for collection development and management for discipline areas which will be added to the Library's subject/discipline collection guidelines
• Subject Liaison Librarians will review the book collection in these targeted areas using the developed guidelines.
• Academic staff will be invited to view removed material that Liaison Librarians have identified as being in doubt over their ongoing retention in the collection
• CARM guidelines will then be applied to de-selected materials to ensure that last copies not held in other libraries will be archived to the CARM storage facility

Relegation to CARM Archival Storage

• All items identified for de-selection will be checked for holdings in other major Australian university libraries. Any scholarly items not held in another major Australian university library will be relegated to the CARM archival storage centre.

• The CARM Centre is located at the CAVAL headquarters in Latrobe University grounds at Bundoora, Victoria. CAVAL (Cooperative Action by Victorian Academic Libraries) is owned jointly by the Vice-Chancellors of the Victorian universities (including Deakin) and the State Library of Victoria. The CARM centre provides environmentally controlled archival and preservation storage for valuable archival and research material. Material located in the CARM centre is available for closed access use and interlibrary loans. The CARM centre allows universities throughout Victoria to collaborate on archiving activities and centralise access to a wide range of research materials.

Disposal of unwanted materials

• All items identified for de-selection and not relegated to CARM will be disposed of in an appropriate manner. Items with value or significance will be assessed by the Special Collections Coordinator for relegation or re-sale. All other materials (consisting of mainly non-current, duplicate or superseded items) will be discarded according to the Library's disposal procedures.

Targeted selection of new materials

• Information obtained from consultation with academics will inform the targeted selection of new material to support the Strategic Research Centres and Faculty Research Centres.
• Liaison Librarians will be encouraged to order new monograph material to improve the relevancy of the collection for the Strategic Research Centres and Faculty Research Centres.
• Areas of the collection which need building will also be identified and targeted for improvement.
• Orders are welcome from all academics.

Project liaison

• Faculty Managers and Liaison Librarians are available to discuss any issues relating to this project. Experienced librarians will be checking every item before a de-selection decision is made. Any queries regarding a book's continued relevance to the teaching, learning or research program of the University will be referred to a relevant academic for comment.

Feedback

• Comments or feedback on these guidelines are welcome and should be sent to your Library Faculty Manager, Liaison Librarian or Janine Epps, Manager Collections & Access.